Big demand from housing activists, timed for election season
Posted February 4, 2013 12:51 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – Housing activists are looking to catch the attention of BC’s political parties ahead of this year’s provincial election by making a multi-billion dollar demand.
You can expect a number of groups to bring their issues forward in time for the May election.
Here’s one from the new Social Housing Coalition BC: $2 billion each year for new social housing, which Jean Swanson with the group says should continue for at least 15 years.
“We’re calling on the BC government to build 10,000 units of social housing a year until the need is met and people are no longer homeless or at risk or homelessness. Yes, this is a large number but the need is large.”
Karen Ward, who is also part of the coalition, says there are more than 100,000 people either without a home, sleeping in cars or on friends’ couches, or just a paycheque away from homelessness.
“So, many people are at-risk, so many people are under the immediate threat of losing their most basic right: the right to a home and the right to feel safe and secure in that home.”
The group also wants maintenance standards to be enforced at existing low-rent housing.
